Friday, November 18, 2005

Never Forget...

Dear Readers,

Daily Gluttony will be going on hiatus for a few weeks while I am up in the Bay Area with my family. My Dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer several months ago and will be undergoing surgery as treatment.

If there's one thing I know about all of us, it's that food is an important part of our lives. But I think it goes way deeper than that. Food, more importantly, is a way we connect with those we love, whether in sitting down and having a meal with our families or cooking our loved one's favorite dishes or remembering how grandma's cooking was so comforting. Of course I know this now but I remember times when I was younger, when my brother and cousins and I would share stories of how we didn't know what to do with all of the home cooked food our parents gave us to take back to college. Sometimes we ate it, and gladly, but other times, it'd sit in our freezers for ages and we'd eventually throw it out without telling them because we'd much rather go out for burgers and beer. We were young, spoiled and unappreciative, not realizing that one day, the food we share with our loved ones will only be a memory.

I know better now. My Dad still cooks for me, even though I'm over thirty and self-sufficient, and I make sure now that I savor every last morsel. My Dad feels the same...he's always shown his love through food, and though he's sick, he won't have it any other way...he somehow still has the energy (despite chemo treatments and everything!) to cook up a storm for all of us and show us that Dad will always love us no matter what.

So what I am trying to say, dear readers, is to never take anything for granted. Make sure you sit down regularly and share meals with friends and loved ones. Tell your husband, wife, mother, father how delicious that dish tasted and go tell the world about it. Share your best cooking with your children and then teach them one day how to carry on your legend. Give those that you love a hug and tell them that you love them. Food is love, and it makes the world go 'round. Never forget that.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families! Eat well, take care, and see all of you a few weeks!

20 comments:

Thank YOU for sharing with us, your loyal readers and somewhat distant food friends, a part of your own special Pam legend. Have a safe trip up North and have a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday with your Dad and family!

dude, don't make me cry. we will miss you big time and i will send every bit of positive energy i can muster up to you and your dad and your family. i wish you all the best and hey, happy thanksgiving!

Now it makes sense. We'll be thinking of you and your family at that lunch. I hope he makes a speedy recovery soon. When he gets back on solid food, remember he'll want his favorite condiments to add flavor to the hospital swill :P

Best wishes to you and your dad. You are so right. Every day we wake up, no matter how gloomy and bad we feel, we must give thanks. Nothing is guaranteed and there are no reset buttons. We have to do it right the first time around.

Dearest Pam, thank you for opening up your life and sharing with us your love for food, and your love for your family. Please know that you have another family that will be here to support you in your time of need--the community of fans who admire what you for your vulnerability and honesty. Take care Pam.

Hi Pam. Happy New Year! I stumbled upon your nice blog through eatdrinknbmerry. Thanks for a heartwarming reminder. We share the same attitude. I grew up in a family where food is the common passion. Cooking together and enjoying the food together has been our family's bonding moments. I lost my father back 2001, lost my mom two years after, and lost my eldest brother in 2004. What kept us and helped us go through these tragedies are the seeming present connection even when they are long gone. Looks like food has a certain power to connect us to our past, keep us going in the present, and teaches us to look forward to our future.

If you have time, visit us at http://thejesuitgourmet.blogspot.com ,where we realte food with a different kind of "family" experience.